Hastert Demands FBI Return Documents

CNSnews ~ LA Times ^ | May 24, 2006 | Laurie Kellman

[Miss_Reagan]

House Speaker Dennis Hastert demanded Wednesday that the FBI surrender documents it seized and remove agents involved in the weekend raid of Rep. William Jefferson's office, under what lawmakers of both parties said were unconstitutional circumstances.

"We think those materials ought to be returned," Hastert said, adding that the FBI agents involved "ought to be frozen out of that (case) just for the sake of the constitutional aspects of it."

The Saturday night search of Jefferson's office on Capitol Hill brought Democrats and Republicans together in rare election-year accord, with both parties protesting agency conduct they said violated the Constitution's separation of powers doctrine.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Can't we go over to DU and post things like:

"OK this is it!!!!!!!!!!!! Screw that corporate sellout Pelosi for letting Jefferson off the hook I swear to God I feel like voting 3rd party in Nov!!!!"

Why should they have all the fun? ;)

[Madame Dufarge]

Excellent email.

Thanks for sending it.

[tfecw]

"I used to argue with 3rd party voters. For exactly the same reason as you"

Forgot the sarcasm tag in my last post, well it wasn't really forgotten I thought it was obvious enough but i guess not. ;) I was just pointing out that AmeriBrit didn't use the usual tactics to bully folks tired of voting for the same fools over and over instead of going 3rd party.

[California Patriot]

Interesting that Hastert should be speaking so passionately on this. Since when has he ever spoken passionately before? It suggests to me that he is trying to cover up in advance for crooked Republicans.

[You Dirty Rats]

an honest RINO is hard to find as well. Hence, A 3rd party protest vote is appearing more and more possible from me.

You call elected Republicans RINOS -- then state you are likely to vote third party? Typical TROLL behavior!

[eureka!]

"Didn't the House's lawyers try to keep the Feebies from getting their hands on the docs in the first place?"

Yep. I saw a portion of the affadivit where the court was advised that all other avenues were exhausted. Hastert is being an asshat. Either out of ignorance or arrogance. Sheesh...

[AmeriBrit]

Isn't Dennis Hastert the guy during the Katrina aftermath that had the national guard take him to his house.
....................................................

And they allow you to vote.....?????????????????????????

[Tennessee_Bob]

No - that was William Jefferson - the guy the FBI raided.

[California Patriot]

"work to earn my vote. It's my vote ..."

It's a bullet that our army needs. You're either with us or against us. This isn't about you, pal. It's about our country. Get a grip.

[Prost1]

If any Senator or Congressman tries to impede the LAWFUL investigation, approved by the Court with a LAWFUL WARRANT, then that Senator or Congressman should be ARRESTED for OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE.

[gcruse]

To paraphrase an aphorism, the definition of insanity is to keep voting for the same party while expecting different results.

[California Patriot]

You're neglecting an important little detail. The FBI actually found something very incriminating in Jefferson's office. This isn't some abusive fishing expedition intended to punish political dissent, as in your hypothetical Clinton-against-Gingrich example. It's legitimate law enforcement. Kudos to the FBI. They did the right thing. Frankly, I'd like to see more raids on Capitol Hill.

[P-40]

if Janet Reno had ordered the FBI to search Newt Gingrich's office we'd all be screaming

If I knew that Gingrich was freeze drying cash at home...I would not have a problem with the search. At that point I'd be ready for him to be under some heavy investigation if not outright removal from office. He'd need one very good response to the allegations, in other words.

And on the searches themselves:

This from the Washington Post makes sense:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/22/AR2006052201080_pf.html

The constitutional privilege for lawmakers does not "expand to insulate everything that goes on in a congressional office, especially if there's allegations of abuse of process or bribery," Dinh said. ". . . The fine line is whether or not it relates to a legislative process or not, not whether they've raided his office."

[Go Gordon]

Hastert's a jackass!

Makes you wonder what's in the documents that might implicate Speaker Hastert...

[SE Mom]

Dennis Hastert: Republican, Speaker of the House (of Representatives)

William Jefferson: Democrat, Louisiana (member of the House of Representatives)

Some links that you may useful and informative:
http://www.house.gov/
http://speaker.house.gov/

[Common Tator]

The basic problem is not the Justice Department. The court issued a subpoena for this stuff in the last session of congress. It was filed with the congress. They chose to ignore the subpoena for month after month after month.

That appears to have been a dumb move.

If you want to tick a judge off ignore a subpoena he has issued. The time to convince the judge that his subpoena was illegal was many months ago.

So with the subpoena ignored for month after month the judge issued a search warrant. And we are off to the races.

The only real recourse for congress is to take their case to court. This has about as much sense as telling the Judge, "You don't have the power to fine me.. Your Honor!!" Bet the farm that before you can say "the excrement hit the fan" the judge will fine you... the maximum amount.

It will be hard to win an appeal. How your case is the courts do not have the right to issue such subpoenas and have them enforced is unconstitutional when the house refused to even answer the courts subpeona.

I think the house has lost a lot of Turf from just plain suptidity.

I noted that the Justice Department gave the House several hours notice of what was coming before they exercised the search warrant. The House officials apparently did noting until after the search lasting many hours was well over.

I find it hard to believe any career justice department lawyer would ask for the warrant to search the house offices with out approval from someone a lot higher up in the administration. I find it interesting that the Presidnet gave Hastert no comfort.

I wonder if this would have been allowed to come to this point if Delay were still in control.

Hastert is a figure head... The figure is a plaster of paris zero.

[Sunshine Sister]

I agree. The man has broken the law for cryin' out loud. What is it that the congress doesn't understand about that? This is just one more indication that all of those bozos really think they are above the law!

[dirtboy]

I agree that Congress is not immune from the Law, but if Janet Reno had ordered the FBI to search Newt Gingrich's office we'd all be screaming

If Reno's FBI had found ninety grand in marked bills in Gingrich's freezer, I would have approved Reno personally strip-searching Newt in his office. There was plenty of probable cause for the search that preceded the search.

[California Patriot]

Well said. Mega-dittoes.

[Go Gordon]

They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, Sounds like Felony to me.

He wasn't arrested. They took his documents.